


A Lesson on Basics

by Tsyele



Series: Journey of the Inquisition [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Drawing, F/M, Fluff, Painting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-14
Updated: 2015-03-14
Packaged: 2018-03-17 21:09:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3543842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsyele/pseuds/Tsyele
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lavellan is impressed by Solas's painting abilities. He offers to teach her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lesson on Basics

**Author's Note:**

> To break a little from all the angst and darkness I've been posting, here's some fluff I wrote in early January when I was still in Solavellan denial stage.

Neris found herself enjoying Solas’s tales of his discoveries in the Fade despite his lack of love for Dalish culture. It took a while to get past his smug demeanor when asking for his insight but she’d been told in her clan she was the same, so she allotted a bit more patience to their conversations and soon came to find in him a kindred spirit in regards to curiosity and love of learning. Over time, Solas’s condescendence started to wane as he began to respect her, and both of them settled on avoiding discussing the Dalish and their customs lest they turn their talks into less pleasurable affairs. Of course, it was impossible to avoid the topic completely when discussing the ancient elves and the pantheon, as the Dalish are very much influenced by them, but now their disagreements stopped being so insulting to one another, becoming instead more akin to a thought-provoking exercise in argumentation.

Indeed. She liked spending time with Solas.

Neris thought initially that he would fit himself in the role of the _hahren_ now that she lacked her Keeper, especially as he absolutely adored spouting his knowledge whenever someone directed a mere question in his general direction. She was wrong, however, he showed little interest in mentoring her in the traditional sense. When she was learning under Keeper Deshanna, while calm and patient and entertaining the occasional call for clarifications, the clan’s Keeper never did go much into examining and questioning how their habits came to be and why the Dalish did what they did. Deshanna was a good teacher, sure, relaying all the tradition, customs and knowledge the clans had gathered through the ages with care and patience, but she never really thought much about it, never deviated from the norm. Solas on the other hand constantly questioned her and challenged her to defend her views, in a way that proved quite exciting once she understood the underlying reason for it. Even when she’d come around to his point of view he would sometimes flip the argument and play devil’s advocate. She was starting to become more assertive because of these little exercises. If Neris were still the First she would turn into a fine Keeper.

No, Solas was not her _hahren_ , he was now her _lethallin_.

It was only natural that her affinity to him would lead to her spending quite some time in his study in the rotunda in Skyhold.

When Solas settled in, she was surprised not by the amount of books he’d asked for, but by the pigments and brushes and all sorts of painting equipment he ordered. It turned out he was painting the journey of the Inquisition on the walls of his study, more specifically, the journey of Neris and her rise as the Inquisitor.

She hadn’t seen any more than the preliminary sketches, but today she heard that Solas had started to lay the first paint strokes after she left for Crestwood without him at his request.

After a quick-chat-turned-half-an-hour-story about the Champion with Varric, Neris skipped with a curious grin towards the rotunda, completely forgetting someone might be watching her go about with such little composure. She opened the door, slowly as to not make a sound, trying to finally catch Solas unawares.

Neris scanned the room for him but he was nowhere to be found. Disappointed, she circled his desk, reading half-heartedly whatever page the book Solas had left opened until the strong smell of paint reminded her why she was there.

Neris crossed the room to face the nearly finished mural Solas was working on. The painting mixtures were still opened and the brush rested on a small bucket half-filled with water. He’d been working on it recently. A wooden scaffolding partially obstructed the view, but she was still awed by the elegant beauty of the style. Neris looked for a while, not realizing she was standing with her lips slightly parted, at what seemed like an abstract depiction of the Breach and the sketch of what was likely the formation of the Inquisition.

“Hello, _lethallan_.” Solas’s voice startled her. Though she’d heard him say it before, she was still pleasantly surprised by his choice of greeting. Neris turned to him sporting a bigger grin than she thought she did.

“Solas.” She considered teasing him over his new title for her, but ultimately decided against it. Though they had been spending much more time together she felt like she hardly knew him, and perhaps at his age he wouldn’t take it as kindly as she meant it. “I didn’t know you were such a great painter!”

“There are many things you do not know about me.” True. “But, thank you. I am glad my skills please you, Inquisitor.” Solas gave a slight smile before heading for his desk.

Her cheeks flushed. Was he aware he did that to her? She’d just entered the realm of friendship with Solas, but since their first meeting Neris felt he was sometimes strangely suggestive in their conversations. She cleared her throat before continuing. “I wish I could paint and draw like you. When I was younger I liked to make drawings on the mud, but they weren’t nearly a fraction as pretty as you. Yours! Not you! N—not that you’re not—” She shut up. Now she her cheeks were bright red.

He shot an eyebrow up. “If you like, I could help you with that.”

She tried hiding her blush and make herself serious again. “Oh, I can’t ask you that, it would be a bigger endeavor than running the Inquisition. I’m afraid I don’t have the talent.”

“Talent is only a small part in every skill. A skill is only nurtured and expanded when one practices.” He took a sketchbook from under a pile of books and paper sheets. “Here. Show me what you are able to do.”

Neris joined him at his desk while Solas passed her the sketchbook and looked for a stick of charcoal. He opened the sketchpad for her. While he flipped the pages looking for a blank one, she saw various images of strange cities, rough sketches of forests, studies of people and animals, although with an inordinate amount of wolves, a drawing of Skyhold, and doodles of what seemed like her in the last few pages. Though he reached a blank one, the page before it was filled with drawings of her likeness. Solas flipped it so that both the pages in front of her were completely bare.

“Have you been drawing me?” Neris felt giddy. It wasn’t just her, was it? She tried turning the page back but Solas leaned in, flattening his palm on it to stop her. She could smell the scent of paint and earth on him.

“Please, _lethallan_. Focus on the task at hand.” Solas handed her the charcoal and nudged her to start. “But, yes. Since you asked.”

She pouted. Neris was left curious, more so by his secrecy. She wanted so badly to know if this wasn’t as one-sided as she thought. But she did as he asked and started doodling a halla, the most common thing she used to draw when she was younger. It came out a sad, deformed little thing, but not quite as awful as she imagined it would be after some 6 years without ever drawing a thing.

Solas leaned in again, placing a hand on the back of Neris’s chair and stroking his chin with another. “It would be greatly improved with just a simple application of the basics,” he said. That was blunt. He realized his tone wasn’t the best as he turned his head to face her.  “I am sorry, Inquisitor. I meant I could teach you the basics of figure drawing. If we find the time between our duties.”

“I’d like that,” she said, getting up. Their ears brushed together and Neris jerked back out of embarrassment. She reflexively tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I, uh… Maybe I can come by when you’re practicing?”

“Yes, that would be appropriate.”

“Good… ‘cause I really could use the lessons.” She snorted. “This is one of those things that makes me feel relieved I’m no longer the First.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“Creators! Can you imagine me once I became Keeper? What would’ve happen to the poor _da’len_ when I had to apply them the _vallaslin_?” She started chuckling, nervously. “Poor things would be screaming from all my trembling and come out with these wobbly, uneven marks on their faces!” Had she made this joke to her clan, most of them would think it in poor taste, a mockery to their honored tradition.

But Solas laughed. It was a short but genuine laugh, a pleasant sound. She was relieved.

“Then it is a good thing that you are now the Inquisitor. Another reason why I am glad you are here.” He smiled.

Normally she would add that she wanted to return home and be among her clan again. But not today. Today she just matched his smile.


End file.
